The next snooker tournament of the season begins on Sunday when many of the leading lights in the game head back to China for the lucrative International Championship, an event which is China’s equivalent of the UK Championship.
This tournament often takes plenty of winning with the long format usually sorting the men out from the boys and given the extended format we usually get some fantastic snooker in the event. Mark Selby defends the title this year.
Recent Winners
2016 – Mark Selby
2015 – John Higgins
2014 – Ricky Walden
2013 – Ding Junhui
2012 – Judd Trump
The Format
The remaining players after a round of qualifying was played to make it into the main draw have been put into an already drawn bracket. The first round of the event right through to the quarter finals will be played over the best of 11 frames before the two semi-finals will be played over two sessions and the best of 17. The tournament is then decided in another two session contest which will be the best of 19 frames.
First Quarter
Mark Selby will be the main draw in this quarter as the defending champion. He will be joined by the likes of Neil Robertson who is a seeded player. The section has been made slightly easier by the forced withdrawal of the suspended Stuart Bingham. Ryan Day remains the only other seed in the quarter.
Some unseeded players are decent in this part of the draw too. Mark Williams leads the way with Joe Perry, Tom Ford and Michael Holt all good enough to win tournaments. Matt Selt and Gary Wilson can be very dangerous on their day too.
Second Quarter
Ding Junhui will be looking to reclaim the title from this section of the draw. Shaun Murphy and Allister Carter are the other seeds left in the quarter but they should not get into the habit of thinking it is a three horse race.
Kyren Wilson is in sensational form at the minute and he is in this section. Martin Gould, Graeme Dott and Robert Milkins are all considered big dangers to the big names with Stephen Maguire always a major runner in any tournament that he enters.
Third Quarter
Judd Trump is the headline act in the third quarter of the draw and his task was made easier when Marco Fu exited the event in qualifying. That leaves Liang Wenbo and Mark Allen as seeded dangers to his credentials in this quarter.
Zhou Yuelong will break through and win a tournament sooner rather than later and it could be here while Dave Gilbert will be looking for a big week as he is defending a huge amount of cash having made the final here two years ago. Mark King and Matthew Stevens will be hoping to make their way through the draw.
Bottom Quarter
This bottom quarter of the draw looks an absolute brute and is very much a tournament in itself. Ronnie O’Sullivan is in here and will be full of confidence having won the English Open last weekend. John Higgins adds to the quality here while Barry Hawkins and Luca Brecel can never be ruled out.
Anthony McGill ran O’Sullivan close in the English Open semi-final last week while Xiao Guodong, Jack Lisowski and Yan Bingtao are all extremely good players who arrive in China in decent form. Ben Woollaston and Dominic Dale are two more who can be dangerous.
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Outright Betting
I’m going with an outright in each half of the draw this week. In the top half of the draw I’m going to ride the form and momentum of Kyren Wilson, who should be really well suited to this longer format. He’s scoring brilliantly at the minute as we saw at the English Open last week and his tactical game is very good too. He’s already made two finals this year and at 33/1 he’s decent value to make a third.
I remain convinced that Mark Allen is going to go deep in an event soon and actually this one could be the one. He has been playing some really good stuff in recent weeks but you can play well and lose in best of seven events. Generally the better player comes through over the best of 11 and beyond and I’m expecting that to happen here. With Marco Fu out he looks to have a nice draw to the quarter final and from there anyone can take down any event. He’s worth a go again at 28/1.
Quarter Betting
With Bingham’s enforced absence and the form of Neil Robertson being patchy to say the least there could be a chance for someone in the top quarter of the draw. Mark Williams could be someone I regret backing but he would run into Mark Selby in the last 16 should both get that far. Joe Perry wouldn’t play the world champion until the final which could give him the advantage, and us as punters the advantage.
Perry has made the quarter finals in both years here in Daqing and he was a semi-finalist at the previous venue so this tournament and format is one he clearly enjoys. His season needs a boost and 11/1 that he wins the quarter appeals off the back of that.
Tips
Back K.Wilson to win International Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Ladbrokes (1/2 1-2)
Back him here:
PLACED – Back M.Allen to win International Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with BetVictor (1/2 1-2)
Back him here:
Back J.Perry to win 1st Quarter for a 1/10 stake at 12.00 with Coral
Back him here:
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What are your first round tips?